There is a reason why Mumbai Indians have been one of the most successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Their talent scouting is among the best in the competition. Notably, it was MI who spotted Jasprit Bumrah and handed him an extended run, makin the most of which he went on to become the world threatening pacer that he has. Quite similar was the case with Hardik Pandya who came to the fore after being picked and backed by the franchise.
Even though Suryakumar Yadav had been part of the other franchises in the past, it was the Mumbai Indians who pushed him up the batting order where finally he could play impactful innings, getting face more number of deliveries. The list goes on but more often than not their assessment of talent has been spot on.
Thus, when the Blue and the Gold Brigade picked Arjun Tendulkar, there was a feeling that he might be ready for the tournament. However, it’s been two season and he hasn’t yet played his first match. While he got injured midway through the season in IPL 2021, last year he did not get a match even as MI finished last. When MI captain Rohit was asked if he would be handed a debut this year, he gave a one-worded answer.
“Good question. Hopefully,” Rohit said addressing a press conference before the start of the season.
The team’s new head coach Mark Boucher then explained that Arjun has impressed with his bowling and could be given a match when the management feels he is ready.
“Arjun is just coming off from an injury. He is going to be playing tonight. Hopefully we can see what he can do. I think he has been playing very good cricket, especially in terms of bowling, in the last 6 months. So yes, if we can have him available for selection, it will be pretty good for us,” Boucher said during the the same presser.
